


Behind Closed Doors

by 8Clarify8



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Gen, Prompt: Reveals, Revelations
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-24
Updated: 2020-10-24
Packaged: 2021-03-09 07:35:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,929
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27170098
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/8Clarify8/pseuds/8Clarify8
Summary: Adrien Agreste has found hidden secrets in his father's study when left home alone.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir & Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug
Comments: 2
Kudos: 79





	Behind Closed Doors

**Author's Note:**

> This was apart of the Ladybug Reveals Zine that was released earlier this month!

There was a time when Gabriel Agreste was actually a _happy_ man. He’d had a loving family, a dutiful son, a beautiful home, a handful of friends, and a wonderful career. 

Time changes things. 

His wife was gone. His son… a shadow of himself. His home felt empty. His friends dwindled down to at best three. His career was going up in flames and he could not even put forth the effort to _stop it_. 

Where did it all go so _wrong_? It was those dastardly talismans that he and his wife found on their journey to Tibet. His wife, his sweet Emilie, loved them so dearly that of course Gabriel (the young love-struck fool that he was) bought them for her, without hesitation. If he could turn back time he would, breaking his wife’s heart in the process only so that she could still be with him.

There were times where he wanted to throw them away, but then Nathalie stumbled over a book being brought to an auction with unfamiliar writing but familiar images stamped into the covering. His heart had skipped a beat and Hawkmoth was brought to life. If only he could find the Ladybug and Black Cat Miraculous, his perfect life would become a reality again! 

Gabriel was always… _careful_. About Hawkmoth, about how much he told Adrien, about every aspect of his life now. Even though Adrien was a dutiful son, and wouldn’t be nosey unless asked of him, Gabriel wanted to be _sure_. Adrien, was getting more rebellious, or _needy_ , as he spent time at… _school_ … with _friends_. 

Though this fateful day, he wasn’t careful _enough_. 

As usual, the Parisian winter sky was gray, waiting to decide if it was going to snow or rain that day. Gabriel had been out of the house, for once, as he needed to make an appearance at the launch of his fashion line that was (unfortunately) majority age and up _only_ , meaning Adrien couldn’t represent the brand for him in his stead. 

It was unusual for Gabriel to be in public without Adrien and even more unusual for Adrien to potentially be home alone.

Nathalie even offered to stay and use the tablets to communicate, but Gabriel insisted he required her assistance directly. They also couldn’t hire another chauffeur to drive them. That would look indecent. 

“I can just stay home, by myself.” Adrien spoke up then, interrupting Gabriel and Nathalie’s discussion. “I promise I won’t be a bother, and that I won’t touch or break anything. I’ll just stay in my room like…” He balled his fists and sighed, ”I always do.” 

The innocent look in his son’s green eyes hurt too much to look at, because it reminded him of Emilie, and because he knew Adrien was lying. 

“Fine,” Gabriel conceded, his shoulders remaining stiff, surprising both Adrien and Nathalie. “You can stay. Return after your outing with Kagami and remain in your room for the night.” 

Adrien had thought that was the end of it, that he got off scot-free. If he thought it was too good to be true, it’s because it was. 

* * *

“Act like I’m not here.” Plagg said once Adrien entered his room, his date with Kagami over. The hairs on the back of his neck stiffened but he didn’t acknowledge the little Kwami. Adrien immediately sat down at his computer, put on some cat ear headphones, and opened up a call with himself. 

“Hey man, what did I miss?” Adrien spoke into the computer while opening up a game. 

“They installed cameras all over the house. There are a few blind spots from what I can find but we need to be careful,” Plagg said quickly, hovering right behind Adrien. Adrien nodded after a moment as he went through the tasks of checking his supplies in game. 

“Weird. I wonder why that happened.” 

Plagg shrugged at him. “Beats me. Extra paranoid to leave you alone I guess?” Plagg had paused for a moment as something crossed his mind. “I may not be able to be caught on camera, but Chat Noir sure is.” 

Adrien frowned at his screen then. “Man that sucks, you really have to go already to look for cameras?” 

Plagg stared at Adrien for a moment, blinking his eyes before Adrien’s words began to make sense. “Ooooooh. Fine, ok but I want some payment for this.” 

“Don’t forget to take your phone and take pictures or videos so you can compare them later. It’s all about the angle, ya know?” 

Plagg huffed before flying away to one of the top corners of Adrien’s room. 

‘ _Cameras, huh? Why did Father need to put up cameras?’_

Plagg was gone for awhile, and till his return Adrien focused on doing minor things in his game like fishing, mining, and killing enemies that spawned nearby. 

After a while Plagg returned. Adrien paused his game to open a chat room with himself and he started typing in it. 

_Any luck?_

Plagg nodded. “There seems to be cameras around every corner. I found the main server room; it looks like it. It’s just…” Plagg paused. “I found something even _weirder_.” 

Adrien backspaced so he could type again. At that moment Plagg opened his mouth completely and a small butterfly with stark white wings slowly emerged. Adrien paused, his body tensed as his eyes widened, he felt like ice was flooding his veins. 

His fingers trembled as he started typing again, the weight of the ring on his finger seeming ten-fold now. 

_That can’t be what I think it is._

The butterfly crawled on the desk where Plagg had let it go, and Adrien watched it with wary eyes and a sinking heart. 

“It gets worse: there seems to be a whole pavilion down there.”

Adrien began typing again, his eyes not leaving the insect as it moved its antennas along the desk. 

_Down where?_

Plagg looked at Adrien, eye brows pinched in confusion. “There’s a whole area of your house that you don’t even know about?” 

Adrien back spaced in his chat bar, watching the blinking space as it indicated him to type. 

But his fingers were trembling. 

The little white butterfly sat on his desk, mocking him. Either a warning or an omen, Adrien was no longer sure. 

“You don’t have any cameras in your bathroom.” Plagg said from next to him, Adrien refused to look at his little Kwami. Refused to lift his head while he walked to his bathroom. 

Once the door to the bathroom was securely shut he breathed a shuddering sigh, trying to gather his thoughts. 

“Were… were there cameras, where the butterflies were?” He asked weakly, not sure which answer he was hoping for. 

“No, I didn’t see any.” Plagg shrugged his shoulders. Adrien closed his eyes tightly, willing his heart and mind to slow down. 

“What about on the way there? How do I get there?” 

Plagg tapped his little chin, humming as he thought. 

“I came out in your dad’s office, in front of the portrait of your mom. It looks like a secret elevator.” 

“So I can’t get in--” 

“What if we asked Ladybug for help?” Plagg brought up, “I could bring down the cameras for a short while, she could figure out how to get the elevator, and you both go to the butterflies?” 

Adrien paused, his face expressionless while his heart beat thrummed in his ears. He sighed, reciting the only two words that made sense right now.

“Claws Out!” 

* * *

Waiting for Ladybug to arrive was nerve-wracking. Adrien waited, pacing back and forth in front of the open window just waiting for the familiar flash of red along with the whirring sound of her yo-yo. Vividly he remembered her stuttering and blushing face when Chat Noir asked her to meet Adrien in his bathroom immediately 

Ladybug arrived finally, flying through the open window, tucking into a somersault on the ground and rolling back on to her feet. She stood waiting and ready, chest puffed out and shoulders squared. She was a calming presence in Adrien’s upside down world. 

“Adrien, are you ok? Chat Noir told me you needed help.” She tried to keep her voice level, playing the part of the superhero that she was-- but he could still hear the concern in her voice.

Adrien nodded, his face hardening. “Ladybug, I need your help solving a puzzle. Unlocking it might solve a lot of our- _yours_ , and Chat Noir's, problems.” 

She faltered in her stance as she peered at him with concern, but his posture was rigid and unchanging. “Of course I’ll help you,” she replied gently. Placing her yo-yo on her waist belt.

“It’s in Father’s study, but he has cameras all over the house. I have… a way to get the cameras down, I just don’t know how to unlock the puzzle, and-” Adrien rubbed the back of his neck, a light blush coating his cheeks, “you’re the best person I know of when it comes to solving puzzles.” 

He didn’t recognize the expression on her face, but he saw a light flush of color to her cheeks before she turned her face away from him. 

“Alright,” Adrien said after a moment as he checked his phone. “The cameras should be down in a minute, I’ll lead us to my father’s study and where the puzzle is. Apparently it’s a part of a portrait of my mother, and in front of it is an elevator that--” he paused, looking at the ground with tight fists at his side. “An elevator that goes beneath my house.” 

She leveled him with a stare; concerned blue eyes met with sad green, and she nodded slowly. 

“Lead the way.” 

* * *

It wasn’t nearly as difficult as he thought it would be to get to his father’s study, or for Ladybug to figure out the puzzle as Adrien initially thought it would be. Ladybug had pointed out parts of his mother’s painting were shinier than others, because of skin oil residue and it made him glad that Plagg had brought her up. 

The elevator ride down aged Adrien just by stress alone; a large room opened up in front of them with a singular walk way, and at the end was a garden flourishing with life. 

With white butterflies. 

“Adrien?” Ladybug’s voice was soft as she called out for him, but he was moving on his own accord as soon as the elevator stopped at the bottom. All the noises in the room fell away to him, blocked by the thoughts running through his mind and the heartbeat thrumming in his ears. 

White butterflies, just like purified versions of the Akumas that they have fought, and caught, and _released_ countless times before, fluttered against bushes and flowers and trees. They surrounded a capsule in the center of the garden. 

A woman appearing to be sleeping peacefully, with soft golden hair in a gentle braid over her shoulder was placed in the capsule-- and Adrien knew that under her closed eyelids were _green_ eyes. 

He collapsed at the edge of the garden, knowing he was forbidden from going in. The garden of Eden beckoned him in further, and yet it was a garden he couldn’t bear to taint. 

“Adrien, what is this?” Ladybug came to stand behind him, squeezing his shoulder to either comfort him or steady herself. Uncertainty and fear laced her voice but he couldn’t focus on that. He only knew _one_ thing, and it wasn’t the tears falling or his voice breaking. 

“You were right, My Lady. My dad is Hawkmoth.” 


End file.
